K-State Athletics Director Gene Taylor announced today the hiring of two new staff members in the department’s Ahearn Fund, in addition to the promotion of three other members of the department’s senior athletics staff.
Rob Heil, a 2004 and 2006 K-State graduate, returns to the department as the new Assistant Athletics Director for Development, while Erica Schilling, who most recently served as Assistant Athletics Director for Development at South Dakota, has been named Assistant Director of Development.
In addition, three senior administrators have received new roles as K-State graduate Kristin Waller has been elevated to Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Services. Jeremy Niederwerder has been promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facilities and Capital Projects, while Charlie Thomas is the new Senior Associate Athletics Director for Special Projects.
“I am pleased to put the finishing touches on our staff with the addition of Rob and Erica in the Ahearn Fund and Kristin in student-athlete services, while the restructuring of duties and responsibilities with Jeremy and Charlie now puts us at full strength as a staff,” Taylor said. “We look forward to continuing to focus on our student-athletes and coaches and providing them all they need to compete for and win Big 12 Championships.”
Heil returns to K-State after spending the past 11 years in Austin, Texas, where he spent nine years in the UT Athletics marketing and development offices followed by two-plus years as Director of Development for Principal Gifts for the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas where he helped spearhead a four-year, $55 million capital campaign for new medical school facilities. While an undergraduate and graduate student at K-State, Heil worked in the marketing and development offices while also being a student manager for the Wildcat men’s basketball team.
Schilling spent the last three-plus years in the South Dakota athletics department where she served as the assistant director of development and most recently as Assistant AD for Development. In her time at South Dakota, Schilling helped increase the department’s annual fund from $926,000 to $1.3 million while expanding the membership base from 817 to 1,188.
Waller, a 2002 and 2008 K-State alum and member of the women’s basketball team, has spent her entire professional career at K-State, most recently as the associate director of student-athlete services and director of life skills. She has eight years of experience in student-athlete services and also has spent time working in the compliance and marketing departments in addition to being the assistant director of basketball operations.
Niederwerder, who enters his second year at K-State following a successful tenure with Mortenson Construction, oversees the development and construction of capital projects and manages the day-to-day operations of all Wildcat facilities and operations, while the 30-year veteran Thomas will work closely with Taylor on various special projects.
K-State Athletics Senior Administrative Team
Gene Taylor, Athletics Director
Jill Shields, Deputy Athletics Director/SWA
Lindsey Babcock, Executive Associate AD for Compliance
Scott Garrett, Executive Associate AD for External Operations/Chief Revenue Officer
Casey Scott, Executive Associate AD for Internal Operations and Event Management
Bruce Shubert, Executive Associate AD for Finance and Administration/CFO
Kenny Lannou, Senior Associate AD for Communications and Public Relations
Josh McCowan, Senior Associate AD for Development and Advancement
Jeremy Niederwerder, Senior Associate AD for Facilities and Capital Projects
Charlie Thomas, Senior Associate AD for Special Projects
Daren Koudele, Associate AD for Compliance
Joni Smoller, Associate AD for Fan Experience and Sales
Kristin Waller, Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Services